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Royal welcome for Scandinavian Premiere

HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden officially launched the 1001 Inventions exhibition
Karlstad, 30th August 2013: HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden officially launched the award-winning 1001 Inventions exhibition, at the renowned Värmlands Museum in Karlstad, today. The Scandinavian premiere of 1001 Inventions took place in the historic city, which also serves as capital of the Värmland county, in the west of Sweden, and the exhibition will be open to the public seven days a week through to the 19th of January 2014.

The Scandinavian premiere of 1001 Inventions took place in the historic city, which also serves as capital of the Värmland county, in the west of Sweden, and the exhibition will be open to the public seven days a week through to the 19th of January 2014.

The 1001 Inventions exhibitions, which highlight the scientific and cultural accomplishments the world inherited from Muslim Civilisation, have already attracted more than three million visitors since a 2010 debut at the London Science Museum.

Speaking on behalf of 1001 Inventions, producer and director Ahmed Salim said: “We are delighted that Karlstad is hosting our Scandinavian premiere, and we are thrilled to be working with the prestigious Värmlands Museum. 1001 Inventions is honoured by the support we have received from HRH Prince Carl Philip, the Board of Värmlands Museum and the educational and political figures who have joined us here today. We look forward to the 1001 Inventions residency in Karlstad being as popular and successful as we have enjoyed in other host cities around the world.”

Åsa Hallén, Director of Värmlands Museum said: “1001 Inventions is an entertaining, fun and educational experience for children and adults alike. It complements the western writing of history and accentuates some of the many amazing treasures of the cultural and scientific history of the Muslim civilization. It shows us how indeed we share a cultural global heritage and points at a very important precondition for development: the openness to input and influences from other cultures.”

A voyage to the past

The exhibition includes more than 60 interactive exhibits across seven zones. Visitors will meet men and women that they may have never even heard of but whose discoveries are the basis of a great deal of everyday life we take for granted today.

HRH Prince Carl Philip and Åsa Hallén, Director of Värmlands Museum, are guided through the exhibition by the producer and the director of 1001 Inventions, Ahmed Salim. (source)

For instance, the visitors will learn about Fatima Al-Fihri, who founded the world’s first modern university complex in Fez, Al-Jazari, who developed machines and reciprocating double action suction pump, Ibn al-Haytham, who explains the workings of the human eye using methods that we today call the Camera Obscura, and Al-Zahrawi who invented hundreds of surgical instruments, many of which are still used in hospitals today.

HRH Prince Carl Philip and Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, Sweden’s Minister of Culture, are guided through the exhibition by the producer and the director of "1001 Inventions" Ahmed Salim. (source)

Building a better future

1001 Inventions aims to arouse people’s interest in the history of science and technology, and inspire future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Värmlands Museum, in Karlstad, has announced that every schoolchild in the county of Värmland aged between 6 and 18 will enjoy a field trip to see the exhibition. Many companies and societies, both local and national, are collaborating with the exhibition host to ensure that 1001 Inventions will be widely promoted and receives as many visitors as possible.

Whilst the exhibition is in Karlstad, the Värmlands Museum will also arrange special activities such as lectures and educational events in different subjects related to 1001 Inventions.

To date, the interactive 1001 Inventions exhibition has attracted more than three million visitors during its blockbusters residencies in London, Istanbul, New York, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Dhahran, Doha and Washington DC. The exhibition’s best-selling companion book, now in it’s third edition, has sold more than 200,000 copies and been translated into Arabic and Turkish.

1001 Inventions is based on two decades of research by more than a hundred leading academics and educationalists from around the world. The content of the 1001 Inventions exhibition was reviewed and approved by an independent panel of academics from the London Science Museum’s and was also reviewed by academic experts retained by California Science Center. Further information is available from the official website: www.1001inventions.com/references